So we are moving in March or April, and I'm debating what to do about the family water supply. Most of our emergency supply is in Aqua Tainers and I'm thinking about what a PITA it will be to move those. I've thought about stocking up on bottled water in the mean time...keep some around anyway for bugging out, but I figure cases of bottled water will be easier to handle than all those Tainers. Thoughts?

I'm a little confused as to what you are asking here. Any reason you can't just empty the 'Tainers, move them empty, then refill them when you get moved? You could take along enough water for the move itself in smaller bottles. Chances are that the world will not start coming to an end while you are enroute...

For the love of all deities and all that’s holy, hire movers. Even if you do empty the containers before you move them, hire movers.

This advice is coming from someone who just moved from Southern California to Pennsylvania. Hire the [censored] movers!

We're only moving a couple of miles, and finances right now dictate that hiring movers is a luxury best avoided. Now if we were moving halfway across the country...

I guess I'm thinking that as I empty the Tainers, I should just leave them empty until after we move...replacing part of that stock with bottled water. Not as much as I keep in the Tainers, but enough to get by with for a while.

I don't feel right just dumping them out...I don't like wasting things when I can avoid it. Right now I use the water to fill up my water bottle(s) for the day, making kool aid, etc...to keep the stock fresh.

Hoping to get a water softener/drinking water system installed in the new house, so I'll have to put more of a conscious effort into rotating...

The Tainers are a pain to move after filling them up at the store, but for large quantities, it seems more environmentally responsible instead of just buying bottled water, although I do keep some bottled water on hand in case my wife would have to load up supplies to BO when I'm not around...no way she could move the Tainers.

And now I'm wondering about my choice for using the Tainers...one was cost. To maintain the supply, it would cost me approximately four times as much to replace the Tainers capacity with bottled water. It would be easier to transport...a case is approximately 3 gallons as opposed to 7 for the Tainer. Then again, the idea is not to move the Tainers to BO, the idea is for sheltering...so...maybe I'll just up the amount of bottled water I keep on hand, AND fill the Tainers once we move.

Sorry about all the thinking out loud...helps me to talk things out though.

So the question is, am I REALLY irresponsible if I let my two week water supply dwindle to, say, 3 days as the Tainer supply runs out before the move?

There is a major difference between irresponsibility and practicality. I don't think you've crossed the line.

If you are only moving a couple of miles, and assuming that you have a vehicle that can hold just the 'Tainers, why not just make one more trip and haul 'em full???

Yes, move them EMPTY I moved four miles and it was worth moving them empty refilling them at the new house became the new filled date

Mike

I also would recommend that you move the containers empty then refill them at your new location. As you already mentioned, take a few cases of bottled water during the move in case you would need them. As far as wasting the water,water the trees, shrubs and flowers around the house, thats not wasting.

I guess it depends on how many you have. I would recommend a (2)2-wheelers if your going to move them full. One with clean wheels for inside your place and one for outside. Don't give yourself a hernia.

Dave

Ask yourself this:

How much does it cost for the water to refill all the empty containers?
vs.
How much does it cost for the fuel to transport all this extremely heavy water than can just be emptied and refilled at the destination?

Doesn’t feel so wasteful to empty them now, does it?